Tasteful Tuesday

These cheesecake cookies are just what they sound like: cheesecake in cookie form. Which means you don't have to worry about all the things you do when you make a real cheesecake. I have only attempted a real cheesecake once and didn't feel it was worth all the stress and heartache....I like the cool-whip ones just as well! Try out these cookies, though, they were good!

Cheesecake Cookies

3 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened

2 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 cans cherry pie filling

In bowl, combine flour baking powder and salt. In mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 min.

Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll in graham cracker crumbs and place on parchment lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Using a tablespoon, make an indentation in ball. Place 3 cherries in the dimple. (I found it better to just get the cherries and not much of the filling stuff) Bake in oven heated to 350 for 12-14 min. Cool on the sheet for 5 min, then remove to wire rack and cool completely.

Recipe source: Mels Kitchen Cafe

My Notes:

This makes a ton of cookies! I cut the recipe in half, just to try them out and had plenty to share with my institute class (after I had eaten about 20). These can be used with any kind of pie filling or whatever you would put on a real cheesecake.